
Ahead of a week of intense diplomatic exchanges and on the Day of the Affirmation of the Argentine Rights Over the Malvinas, Islands and Antarctic Sector, the Argentine Government once again ratified its claim over the Islands’ sovereignty and questioned the UK over the “illegal exploitation of their natural resources” and the “increased militarization of the South Atlantic region.”

Fiji will continue to be part of the consensus in support of the UN Decolonization Committee resolution regarding the Falklands/Malvinas dispute, anticipated the Pacific islands Foreign Affairs minister following a meeting with the non-resident Argentine Ambassador to Fiji, H.E. Pedro Villagra Delgado.

The UK regretted as ‘misfortunate” and “strange” the announced attendance of Argentine president Cristina Fernandez next week to the UN Decolonisation Committee to claim sovereignty over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.

President Cristina Fernandez has yet to fulfil her wish to have the whole Argentine opposition represented next to her when she addresses the UN Decolonization Committee claiming sovereignty over the disputed Falklands/Malvinas Islands next week.

Two young Islanders will accompany Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly Members to a special session of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation (C24) this month in New York.

President Cristina Fernandez will be attending next June 14 the UN Decolonization meeting in New York where she is expected to make a strong case for Argentina’s claim over the disputed Falklands/Malvinas Islands.

Ecuadorean Minister of Foreign Affairs Ricardo Patiño called on Wednesday for an end to the remains of colonialism and specifically mentioned the Falklands/Malvinas, Puerto Rico and the US Guantanamo base in Cuba.

Falkland Islands Member of the elected Legislative Assembly Roger Edwards is scheduled to address the UN Special Committee on Decolonization regional seminar which opened Wednesday May 30 in Quito, capital of Ecuador.

The Falklands government repeated on Tuesday its standing invitation to any current or future chair of the UN Decolonization Committee to visit the Islands and reiterated it welcomes any fact finding commission the C24 wishes to send.

The hydrocarbons policy within Falkland Islands waters is primarily a matter for the Falklands government and the UK is in no negotiations with Argentina over the future exploitation of any oil deposits found in the Islands waters, said Lord Howell of Guildford, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office during question time in the House earlier this month.